The diagnostic value of combining conventional, diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for salivary gland tumors

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of combining conventional MRI, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in salivary gland tumors. METHODS: . A time-intensity curve (TIC) was obtained from DCE-MRI. RESULTS: ) and malignant tumors. DCE-MRI showed benign tumors with A-type, B-type and D-type of TICs, and the malignant tumors with C-type TICs. A combination of all of these parameters yielded sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of 90%, 97%, 95%, 90 and 97%, respectively. CONCLUSION: An evaluation combining MRI morphologic findings and functional MRI (ADCs and TIC) appears to be useful in differentiating benign from malignant tumors in salivary gland tumors. Advances in knowledge: The study firstly dealt with the combination of conventional MRI, DWI-MRI with DCE-MRI in salivary gland tumors.